Offers of Karting South Yorkshire

Are you a speed freak? Do you need to feel the revving of an engine to feel alive? Do you have a live fast attitude? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, we’ve got just the thing to get you away from your computer and onto a race track. We’re talking about karts, compact, open wheel vehicles that keep you close to the sound of the engine and just inches above the tarmac. Speeding around a circuit is a visceral experience that gets your heart pounding and your adrenaline flowing. One of the best regions in the UK to have a go at this motorsport, or to become a regular racer, is South Yorkshire, boasting several high quality facilities.

Compared to other motor vehicles, are simple, easy to use and cheap to experience. They come in all shapes and sizes, and can be fitted with different safety mechanisms, to open the sport of karting up to people of all ages and abilities. As you’ll find out if you come here, these features don’t take away from the fun, rather they allow you to enjoy the intensity of racing without worrying about the details. But for those who like to be in the know, we’ve put together the details here in this handy guide to help you get the very best.

Where are the best karting tracks in South Yorkshire?

• Neepsend: Within the bounds of Sheffield, also known as Steel City, you’ll find a place to satisfy your need for speed. It’s an open air track, purpose built for karts, that twists, turns and tangles itself almost into knots over a distance of half a kilometre. Once you start driving here, you won’t want to stop - and you don’t have to! The site boasts all-weather tarmac, allowing racing in all seasons, and floodlights which mean that the end of the day isn’t the end of the action. The vehicles that you’ll get your hands on have powerful, 270cc petrol engines, so you can complete laps in just 36 seconds - despite the corners, climbs and chicanes.

• Tinsley: But if the idea of racing in the wet doesn’t sound like your kind of thing, you can head for an excellent indoor karting facility on the other side of the city. There are several tracks here which are all protected from the elements, and they’re packed into the enclosed space in ingenious ways. Tight corners, ascents and descents between multiple levels and flyovers, all of these create a karting environment that’s so immersive that you’ll convince yourself you’re a Formula 1 pilot.

• Swinton: It’s not just the capital city that houses fantastic experiences. There’s another indoor track in Swinton, which has been putting smiles on racers’ faces since the nineties. What’s their secret? Top of the range karts, a well designed track, and great customer service. It’s that simple, but it guarantees you a day out to remember, whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or just need to blow off some steam.

• Wombwell: The track in Wombwell, outside Barnsley, is a bit different. It’s an owner-driver venue, meaning that you need to have your own kart in order to race here. Though this makes it unsuitable for novices or occasional racers, it’s the perfect place to go if you’re looking for somewhere to take this sport seriously. You’ll find yourself in a community of fellow speed freaks, who are helpful, supportive and, once you’re on the track, highly competitive! The track itself is 865 metres long, and includes two straights where you can really open up the throttle, as well as some truly challenging corners. This was one the tracks where Lewis Hamilton raced before making the change to Formula car racing! If that’s not enough to recommend it to you, we don’t know what is.

What are the options for organising a race?

All the karting tracks in South Yorkshire, except for the owner-driver venue in Wombwell, put on a whole variety of practice sessions and race events to suit all timetables, tastes and groups. So, if you want to blast around the track for 20 minutes or half an hour, honing your skills and beating your best lap time, that’s as easy as getting a group together for a competitive race. In that time, you might complete as many as 50 laps - enough to take your mind off the daily grind!

- When it comes to racing events, there’s a lot to choose from. One of the most popular options is a Grand Prix that allows you to live out any Formula 1 fantasies that you’ve kept hidden from your friends and family right here. You and the other competitors will start with a practice session, where you can get familiar with the kart and the track layout, followed by a qualifying round where drivers compete for pole position. Then it’s a 15 or 20 lap race around the circuit. The driver who takes the chequered flag will get to lift a trophy on the podium, and there’s a bottle of bubbly too - you have to be in it to win it.

- Other options for events include endurance races, which can be team events, and more casual sessions. These are perfect for people whose goal is to have fun rather than leave the competition in the dust.

Who can pilot them?

We’ve mentioned that some of the formative races of Lewis Hamilton’s career took place at karting venues in South Yorkshire, and that’s because it’s the only motorsport that children can get involved in. Several tracks in this region have specially designed junior or cadet karts, which are the perfect size for young racers, and allow them to feel the thrills while eliminating risk. Most of these are suitable for children aged 8 years old and up. In Wombwell, you can get your kids from the tender age of 6 years old, so long as you have a vehicle that’s suitable for them.

When our little steering wheel prodigies reach 12 years old, or 150 centimetres in height, they can start trying out the full size machines. The models in the region have engines that range from 200cc to an impressive 270cc, and, when you get the chance to accelerate down a long straight, they can reach speeds of up to 50 miles an hour.

We all know the importance of the team in Formula 1 racing, and it’s the same here. Although you’re very welcome to book a session on one of the tracks here as an individual and share the track with other racers, the most enjoyable thing to do is organise an event for you and your people. Whether you’ve got a birthday, a stag do or a hen party to organise, or you want to arrange a corporate activity day, you’re in good hands on the tracks here. If your group is big enough, you’ll have the venue to yourself, and some sites have a capacity for 50 people or more.

Will you take the chequered flag? Not until you make a reservation!